Joanne Christiansen
June 20, 1933 - Feb. 16, 2019
Joanne Christiansen, 85,
Bowbells, ND passed
away Saturday, February
16, 2019 at Trinity Hospi-
tal in Minot.
Joanne Adele Knoke
was born June 20, 1933,
the third daughter of Clif-
ford and Beth (Peterson)
Knoke at the hospital in
Bottineau. She was raised
on their farm, north of
Willow City, ND. As a
child, Joanne loved riding
horseback with her
friends and playing in the
barn with her horses.
Joanne attended school in
Willow City and graduat-
ed with the Class of 1951.
Joanne earned her Stan-
dard Teaching Degree
from Minot State
Teacher’s College. Joanne
began her teaching career
in 1953 where she taught
fourth grade for 2 years in
Bowbells, ND and a year
in Tioga. She loved being
a teacher, but she loved
her future husband even
more. She married Leo
Christiansen on June 8,
1956, and they were mar-
ried for 61 years. They be-
gan their married farm life
in Denmark Township,
Ward County and then
built a new farmstead in
Bowbells Township,
Burke County where they
farmed until 2009 raising
their three children dur-
ing those years. Joanne
lived on the farm for the
remainder of her life, nev-
er giving up her garden or
her yard. Joanne did re-
turn to teaching when she
taught kindergarten for a
few years in Bowbells
Public School, and she
also substitute taught in
Bowbells and Kenmare
during the late 1970s
through the 1990s. One of
Joanne’s greatest joys was
when her grandson, John,
began his teaching career
in the very same class-
room she taught when she
began teaching.
Joanne and Leo enjoyed
socializing with their
many friends. They were
members of the Circle and
Swing Square Dance Club
in Kenmare and the Beaus
‘n Belles Square Dance
Club in Bowbells. They
spent many Saturday
nights at couple’s dances
in the area. Joanne en-
joyed entertaining in her
home, and many winter
nights were spent hosting
whist card parties, invit-
ing friends to visit, and
hosting Christmas parties
for her Homemaker’s
Club.
Joanne was a founding
member of the Town and
Country Homemaker’s
Club which just celebrat-
ed its 50th anniversary.
Joanne always said how
thankful she was that she
was a member of this club
as it offered such great
fun, learning, and friend-
ships. She especially en-
joyed helping to create
ideas for the many floats
they built for parades in
Bowbells.
Joanne was a former
member of Nazareth Luth-
eran Church in Kenmare
and was currently a
member of Bethlehem
Lutheran Church in
Bowbells where she was
an active member of the
women’s circles and
groups. She enjoyed the
years when she was able
to sing with small groups
as special music for
church services.
Joanne was always ac-
tive and was referred to
by family and friends as
“The Energizer Bunny”.
She could spend the
whole day mowing grass
with a push mower but
still would do her two
mile walk at the end of
the day to make sure she
got her “exercise.” Joanne
enjoyed volunteering, and
one of her favorite activi-
ties the past two years,
while Leo was in the
nursing home, was read-
ing Little House on the
Prairie books to the
residents.
Joanne’s grandchildren
have the best memories of
her wonderful food and
all the hours of card
games, board games, and
outdoor games she would
play with them. She once
said, “Grandkids just
don’t realize how special
they are to us old folks.”
Joanne’s family in-
cludes Vicki (Bruce)
Dougherty, Powell, WY,
Randy (Sue) Christiansen,
rural Bowbells, and Darcy
Christiansen, rural
Bowbells; grandchildren,
Beth (Josh) Ristow, Pa-
trick Dougherty (fiancÈ
Mackenzie Hamre), Kiley
(Kevin) Cintron, Jayme
(Joe) Ogden, John Chris-
tiansen, Shane (Em-
maLee) Christiansen,
great-granddaughter, Han-
nah Ristow; sister Diane
Boetel Waldron, Apache
Junction, AZ; and several
nieces, nephews, and
cousins.
Joanne was preceded in
death by her husband,
Leo; her parents Clifford
and Beth Knoke; her sis-
ters Marion Wetzel and
Nona Lillard; and her
niece, Kathy Wetzel.
Funeral: Tuesday,
February 19, 2019 at 2
p.m. at Bethlehem Luth-
eran Church, Bowbells,
ND.
Interment: A family
burial service will be held
in the spring.
Memorials: may be
given to Bethany Lutheran
Cemetery, rural Bowbells,
in care of Nazareth Luth-
eran Church, or to the ac-
tivities fund at Kenmare
Hospital.
Those wishing to sign
the online register and
share memories may ac-
cess the online obituaries
section at (www.
thompsonlarson.com).